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I picked today - first Thursday of the month - to go, because Wadsworth Atheneum is open until 8pm. It closes at 5pm the rest of the month. I really needed the extra few hours to see everything on my list. In the end, I made it to all 4 places I wanted to go:

Since the Ballets Russes show closes in 10 days from now, I could not wait until August to go on this day trip. I couldn't have picked a worse day - it was raining buckets all day long, which made the drive there and back rather horrible.

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It is a 90-mile drive for me, and I left my house around 7:20am. The drive should have been easy: ~50 miles on Mass Pike + 40 miles on I-84. But it was raining so hard part of the way that cars were going only @ 50mph on MassPike! It reminded me of the heavy T-storms in TX.

I was the only person on this first tour of the day. The guide did a decent job. The building was built in 1878, and the interior is quite impressive with lots of wood, marble, and a beautiful dome. I was taken inside both the House and Senate Chambers. There are a few historical artifacts, including a bed used by Lafayette. The tour lasted for 45 minutes.

After the State Capitol tour, I drove to the Mark Twain House (1874). The new visitors center (opened in 2003) houses the museum with a few galleries, a gift shop, plus a small theatre that shows an introductory film. The film is a 23-min truncated version of the 3+hr movie made by Ken Burns.

I arrived just after 10:30am, and was assigned to the 11am House tour, so I had just enough time to watch the intro film (highly recommended - gives a good background to his life).

Apart from the House Tour (50 mins; $14), there is also a Servants Wing tour (25 mins; $5). If one chooses to do both, the total price is discounted at $17.

Our tour has 9 people. This is definitely the highlight of my day. I was blown away by the interior decor - specifically the wall and wood paneling decor - done by Louis Comfort Tiffany. He designed geometric patterns, stenciled on walls and wood, in silver paint. The pattern on the wood looks like mother of pearl. http://www.marktwainhouse.org/thehouse/tiffany.shtml

The Servants Wing tour was okay - a much smaller space and not much to see really, with the exception of:
1) Huge coal stove
2) First telephone in Hartford
3) Battery-operated alarm system

Overall, this is very enjoyable. I know very little about Samuel Clemens before my visit, and I don't think I have read any of Mark Twain's novels. I feel that I learned a lot in this 2-hour visit, and certainly is interesting to me even though I know close to nothing about him before my visit.

Lunch in West Hartford
When researching for this trip, I kept reading suggestions of driving over to West Hartford Center for restaurants. Well, now I know why! The area where Mark Twain House is, used to be an upper class area where the wealthy folks lived. However, nowadays it is kind of a sketchy area, with the closest food option being fast food chains.

West Hartford Center is only 2 miles down the road, and it's a world of difference out there. It's a cute center with shops, boutiques, and lots of restaurants.

I ate at Grants. http://www.billygrant.com/grants.htm
During the week, it offers a 2-course express lunch (app + entree + drink) for $15. However, I decided to get the duck & spinach salad from the a la carte menu.

OMG, it was so delicious! It was shredded duck meat on wilted spinach, with roasted mushrooms, dried cherries, bacon bits, and candied walnuts. It was a wonderful, wonderful dish, for $12.

yk - this is so cool to read as our endeavor to visit each of the 50 capitol buildings has yet to take us to Hartford. Now I've got an idea of more things to see/do. Though I'm not a duck fan (hubby is) that salad sounds yu um!

yk, I had visited Hartford a few years ago, I enjoyed Mark Twain's house and I have never seen geometric patterns, stenciled on walls in other mansions/stately homes elsewhere.

I remember the telephone was hidden in the closest, just to the left of the main entrance. Since the telephone was a fairly new invention when the house, Mark Twain was scepital about the technology, so he chose to hide the telephone just in case.

yk - my bil and sil lived in West Hartford for a few years. It was a very pretty, New England-looking area. Unfortunately, we never really toured anything in Hartford. With all that rain, you are dedicated!

You should go out ten minutes more to the Hillstead in Farmington. A great house, nice setting and lots of masters in a "home like" setting. Also the Museum of American Art in New Britain is very good.

Thanks for all your responses. emalloy, I have read your recommendations on Hillstead and Museum of American Art in New Britain before, on other threads. I definitely would love to visit them in the future on a separate trip. Since my husband couldn't come with me yesterday, I didn't want to make this an overnight trip.

ChicagoDallasGirl - apart from the current CT state capitol, the old state house in Hartford still stands and is now a museum. I only had time for a photo-op but not an actual visit inside.

Great report yk. I wish folks here would write more short trip reports about lesser known/less visited cities, towns, and places like Hartford. I toured the state capitol when I was there on business about ten years ago and remember it being a very beautiful, interesting building.

If your trip piqued your interest in Mark Twain, read his Life on the Mississippi and Innocents Abroad -- two books any self-respecting travelin' Fodorite ought to really enjoy.

yk- so glad you enjoyed your "trip" and especially Grants! it is a fantastic restaurant. west Hartford is a great place- and doesn't get much hype b/c it's in central CT-- it's too bad Hartford can't revitalize itself and be more like WH-- not so much suburban,but it would be great if hartford was an urban mecca where people would shop and eat and mill about.

Confession time: I have never heard of Harriet Beecher Stowe, nor have any idea who she was. I found out about this simply because it is often mentioned with Mark Twain House. When I looked up the website, the book title "Uncle Tom's Cabin" vaguely rang a bell, yet I didn't know what it is about.

After lunch at Grants, I drove to the Stowe Center, right next door to Mark Twain House.

"Right next door" is an understatement. The 2 houses are no more than 50 yards from one another, and one can easily walk from one to another without moving your car. (Each place has its own parking lot: Mark Twain House lot is much larger.)

I arrived around 2:10pm and was told I could go on the 2:30pm tour. Admission is $9, but I got a $1 discount for visiting Mark Twain House on the same day. The visitors center is pretty small. An area in the back has several chairs where one can watch a 25-min introductory film. I watched most of it before I got called away for the house tour. Our group had 7 people I think.

Harriet Beecher Stowe moved into this Victorian House in 1873, just one year before Mark Twain moved into his. Harriet was an entire generation older than Mark Twain. She bought this house for retirement, and it was much smaller and more manageable than her previous house. She lived here with her husband, and her twin daughters who never married.

I didn't find the house that exciting, to be honest. It looks like just another stuffy, boring, Victorian house (square box design with 4 rooms per floor). Sure, there are some photographs of her family, as well as items she bought in Europe, and paintings she did herself. But on the whole, nothing about the house screams out.

Having said that, I learned a great deal about Harriet Beecher Stowe - through both the introductory movie as well as the guided tour. Uncle Tom's Cabin was the second best-selling book for years after it was published, second only to the Bible. It made Harriet Beecher Stowe a very rich woman - probably the richest woman in the US at that time by her own right. Uncle Tom's Cabin was the first book she published. She subsequently wrote 30 more books but none were that popular.

At the end of the tour (~45 mins), I can't help but wonder if 100-150 years from now, people will be touring JK Rowling's house?

Even though the tour I took was called Home and Garden Tour, there was no tour of the Garden. Unless you consider, "This is the Victorian Garden!" is a tour. In any case, her garden isn't big so I can't imagine much can be said about it.

Bottom Line: Not a must-see. If you are a huge fan of hers, then I'd recommend it. Or if you're like me, clueless as to who she was, you will find this educational. But if you know enough about her and Uncle Tom's Cabin, I don't think this tour adds much.

As soon as I left the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, the thunderclouds have returned and it started raining. By the time I drove to downtown, it was pouring again. I found a spot near the Old State House, so I got out and took a quick shot. It is open for tours, but I didn't have time.

Then I drove a few blocks to the Atheneum and found street parking on Prospect Street, at the backside of the museum. It was just after 4pm, and meters are in effect until 6pm. Even with an umbrella, by the time I got to the Atheneum entrance, the lower part of my pants were soaked.

Since the goal of this daytrip is to see the Ballets Russes exhibit, I made a beeline for it. Since 2009 is the centennial of Ballets Russes, there are plenty of exhibitions all over, including 2 in Boston which I had already seen.

What's different about this one in Hartford, is the inclusion of costumes in the show. There are plenty of original drawings of costume designs and set designs on display, but being able to see the finished costume transforms the 2-D idea into a 3-D finished product.

Diaghilev was known for commissioning the avant garde artists of that time. He even had artists Picasso, Juan Gris, Juan Miro, Giorgio de Chirico, Henri Matisse to design sets and costumes for his ballets. On view at the exhibition are several Japanese-influenced costumes by Henri Matisse, and these by Juan Gris and de Chirico:

Afterwards, it was time to explore the rest of the museum. It is not that huge in size, and the collection is heavy on European art. I really enjoyed it because it has a good representation of each period: Italian Renaissance, Flemish paintings, Dutch still life, French Rococo, classical Spanish, English pre-Raphaelites, French Impressionism, German Expressionism... even a painting by Klimt and 2 by Munch. It also has an extensive collection of porcelain, esp English, Meissen, and Sèvres porcelain.

I wanted to stop at the Mark Twain House the last time I vacationed in New England, but ran into mega traffic and that was that. I remember going there years ago, as I was born in CT and lived my first 21 years there and graduated from UConn. I get back there infrequently now.

I don't think I have ever been to the Wadsworth Atheneum. You never go to see the tourist attractions near where you live because you can go anytime (but you don't).

yk--My husband and I have been putting together a list of places in New England we have always meant to visit so we can start taking some weekend/long weekend trips when we become empty nesters this fall.
The Mark Twain House is definitely on the list (as was the Longfellow House in Cambridge which we finally managed to visit last month). Your report has made me even more determined to get to the Mark Twain House especially since I keep seeing articles saying it may be closed. I saw a PBS documentary about it a few years ago and a friend who is an architect loves the house.
We almost stopped last year on our way down I-91 to southern Ct (I had the brochure out) but our son chose a tour of the Yale campus over MTwain that day.

I am also interested in the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center. I was an American History and Literature major in college so am familiar with the story of the "little woman who wrote the book that started this great war." I can't say I am a fan but I did read Uncle Tom's Cabin. I also watched the portion of the movie of the King and I where the play of Uncle Tom's Cabin is performed many times; for some reason our son was fascinated by this when he was about 5.

You will have to revisit the Atheneum one of these days to see the parts you missed. It is one of the finest smaller museums in the United States, saved from irrelevance and financial ruin by an exemplary director.

Another good small museum is the Worcester Museum of Art in Worcester, MA. A very fine general collection and a spectacular Roman mosaic floor.

Once again my unknown friend yk with a report...this time of Hartford. There is indeed much to see there. We have a niece who just moved from West Hartford to an historical area near the Capitol where they are rehabing a house. She is a most interesting person and founder of a Center for Peace Education so I'll give her work a plug: www.paxeducare.org

But yk...you hadn't heard of Harriet Beecher Stowe? Wow, but then I'm much older than you and a student of history. This little lady was instrumental in the evolving turmoil leading to the Civil War (as was mentioned "The King and I" movie has an off beat take on "Uncle Tom's Cabin.)" She is of the famous Beecher family, e.g., brother/preacher Henry Ward Beecher.

What I wanted to add though is a place not mentioned but not to be missed in West Hartford, the Noah Webster House and Museum. http://noahwebsterhouse.org If you go to this link you can look up a word in the dictionary. Yes, yk, this is the dictionary guy!

Vttraveler - I haven't heard any concerns about Mark Twain House closing, at least no one mentioned it during my visit. It will be a true loss if it does close, as it really is a beautiful house. I hope you won't get discouraged by my view of the Stowe Center, and that you will pay a visit there. To me, it is such a huge contrast to Mark Twain House (both the architecture and interior decor), that it was a bit of a let down after touring Mark Twain House just 2 hours earlier.

Ackislander - I have Worcester Museum of Art on my list. But just like this trip, I've been procrastinating. I think I've signed up for their email newsletter, so if there's an interesting exhibit, I'll go sooner. Perhaps I can combine it with a trip to the Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Bolyston, MA. Have you been to Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham?

Lauren - I know exactly what you're saying. In fact, I've moved around the country a few times, and I've always lamented how little I saw in each city during the years I lived there. Before I know, it's time to move and no time to visit the sites. Therefore, ever since I moved back to the Boston area, I have been making a conscious effort to tour as many sites as possible.

Ozarksbill - I know, really shame on me. However, I didn't grow up in the US, so I didn't have to learn US history nor read American literature. Well, that's my excuse anyway. But, better late than never, right? Oh yes, I think I have heard of Webster , even though I grew up using the OED.

Again, thank you to everyone's comments and to anyone who's read this. I seriously did not expect so many responses... just assumed this would drop off the list quickly and be forgotten.

I lived in the Hartford area for over 15 years and finally decided to visit the Mark Twain house before I left for DC. If your guide was telling you the same things ours was and you paid careful attention you realize that nothing in the house is original including the phone. The house was an apartment building, a storage facility for a library and was a number of other uses. None of this clicked with me until the very end and I asked the guide based on what he had said if anything was original in the house and he said no. i think they should make that very clear in their brochures and the beginning of the tour. That said it still was a very beautiful house.

I would recommend seeing the Gillette castle down along the river near the Goodspeed opera house. It is really lovely.

Our guide didn't mention any of that at all. HOwever, I did ask her at the end of the tour regarding what happened to the house for the 50 years (after it was sold by Mark Twain, before it was purchased to be set up as a museum). She said the same thing as you - apt, school, etc.

However, many of the items did belong to the Clemens, including silverware that was Olivia's, the fireplace in the living room that they purchased in Scotland, their bed that they purchased in Venice; just to name a few. There's also the fireplace in the dining room that was designed by Tiffany with colored glass tiles that's original.

Morever, when the house underwent restoration, they kept small sections of the original wall painting and stencil pattern on view. The restorers/artists copied the stencil pattern from the original, and then redid it in the rest of each room. The small original section is saved for historic purposes.

LaurenKahn1--you should definitely try to visit the Longfellow House the next time you get to Cambridge. It is a beautiful place full of original furnishings from the Longfellow family. The park service is so committed to maintaining it that visitors are asked to check bags and purses during the tour so that they don't brush against anything in the house!
The house was also used by George Washington as his HQ so there is an additional layer of history.
My husband and I also lived in Cambridge for years w/o ever visiting but we were walking up Brattle street to a party a few weeks ago and decided it was time to stop in!

yk, if I knew you were going to Hartford I would have told you about a great restuarant not too far from the Mark Twain House area. It's called "Hot Tomatoes". If you go back to Hartford, have lunch or dinner there for me! I used to have an office in West Hartford so I know the area.

Its location is not glamorous, but it's not unsafe. It has a business/upscale crowd.

Can you believe that I just went to Hartford three days ago for the first time in years, and enjoyed it so much I wrote a story about it for our local paper!

We went to the Hartford Stage Co. production of Horton Foote's "Dividing the Estate." (which was great, by the way) and loved seeing the beautiful state house again, and the Soldiers and Sailors (Civil War) Arch monument, and passed by the fabulous Wadsworth Museum (which I used to go to regularly, and which is still worth a detour)

We ate at a restaurant called "DISH" on Main Street, which was excellent. We even got 20 % off our main course because we had Hartford Stage tickets.

We also noted the recently opened Connecticut Science Center, on the river, a gorgeous glass building designed by the famous Cesar Pelli, which looks like a must for families and architecture lovers.

All in all, I think Hartford is Happening! and is certainly worth a day trip - in addition I noted several of the better hotel chains in the downtown, so I think an overnight would not be out of the question.

YK, that was a terrific report. Every year, we head for Ct. to friends, who live on the Golf Course where the PGA plays one of their tournaments. Each year, (and we've been doing this for over 10 years) my friend and I take a day, while the boys are playing golf, for outselves, and the places you visited are all places we have done, and thoroughly enjoyed. As she says, it takes a visitor to really have you take advantage of what's in your "backyard"!
Last year, when we visited both of the houses, a reporter from a local TV station came up to us and and asked us of our thoughtsd about our visits - fun to watch yourself on the 6 o'clock news!
Farmington, and the home of the 1st woman architect is another interesting spot, as is the Rose Garden in Elizabeth Park in Hartford proper. And, if your there on a weekend, there are wonderful Farmers Markets in both West Hartford and Farmington.

Wow, the list of places to visit in Hartford just cotinues to grow! Thanks for all your "insider tips"! I didn't know about the CT Science Center at all, and I like Cesar Pelli's architecture, so I need to go check it out next time.

My in-laws used to be subscribers of the Hartford Stage, but I don't think they still are now, because it is over an hour drive for them each way. But I will let them know about these restaurant recommendations if they head out to Hartford.

Hopefully my next visit to Hartford won't be years from now. My last visit to Hartford (prior to July 2, 2009), was in 1992 or 1993. All I did that time was ride the carousel at Bushnell Park. [It was a quick stop on a road trip from TX to Boston with my brother.]

I lived in both Hartford and West Hartford for many years, so I check the CT board every now and then. I've posted many times directing people over to WH Center for a meal, so I'm glad you made your way over there and enjoyed yourself.

For other headed Hartford way, a favorite place of ours in Hartford was always Mozzicatto's on Franklin Ave. for a cappuccino and dessert. Do not go when you're in a rush, it is truly a European feel and a place made for slow sipping and conversation. Mouth waters just thinking of it.

A wonderful breakfast place was Mo's on South Whitney St.

And I absolutely loved the rose garden in Elizabeth Park! Plus some of the architecture of houses nearby.

See - nobody thought Hartford was interesting - well it is!!! Add to the list is dining in downtown Hartford. there are several great restaurants that rival West Hartford . Peppercorns (a veritable institution), Max downtown (flagship of the Max Group), Bin 228 (lighter fair), Masala (great Indian), Trumbull Kitchen (everyone's fav.) and Feng (elegent Asian-fusion). Hartford stage and theater Works put on excellent productions almost year round. The cities public Library has even added and art gallery with a rotating exhibit. Slightly out of town is The New Britain Museum of Art - an excellent compliment to the Wadsworth. there is also the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks about 15 min. north. And, the latest gem is the Science Museum, just opened in down town Hartford - it's a must see/do!

I love looking around old houses, owning and renovating one certainly makes you appreciate the quality of the builders work, it's history and the previous owners who managed not to paint too much of the woodwork.

Perhaps next time we head to NY we'll stop over for longer in Hartford - or even spend a long weekend there. The Harriet Beecher Stowe house sounds more interesting to me because of the age of the house but I certainly wouldn't miss the Mark Twain house or any of the other suggestions you got on this post.

If you like old Houses, on Main street about a block down from the Athaneum is the colonial Butler-Cook Homestead - one of the original homes in Hartford that has miraculously survived the centuries - and they even have a real garden! For those who are architecture fans, while HBS and MT houses are called Victorians, the former has strong influences from the American Gothic Revival style (AJ Downing) and the later is clearly a Steamboat Gothic.

Another house on my list - I LOVE the garden especially since they've got a greenhouse, which is something I like to add to my house. I'm thinking we might have to spend a LONG weekend in and around Hartford

I do own a Victorian - she even has a turret/tower and was built in 1875, you certainly seem to know your architecture.